Kearney Welcome Center is NOW OPEN – 7 days a week.
Visitors to Kearney can always expect a warm welcome, and that experience is now elevated with the opening of the brand-new Kearney Welcome Center.
The Kearney Welcome Center is now open and serves as Kearney’s front door; a welcoming place for visitors and residents alike. The center offers areas to learn more about Kearney’s past and present while encouraging further exploration of our city and the Platte River Valley.
When guests enter, they are greeted by a locally inspired mural (and a great photo opportunity, if we do say so), along with brochures and a kiosk to check out the Visit Kearney website. Along the wall of floor-to-ceiling windows, banners showcase some of Kearney’s best. Creating a moment of its own, the floor features a design representing the Platte River, complete with cranes suspended from the ceilings, ‘flying’ throughout the room.
“After nearly two years of thoughtful planning and design, we are thrilled to unveil the Kearney Welcome Center. Working closely with an exhibit design team, we’ve created a space to engage, educate, and inspire both visitors and locals by showcasing our city’s rich history, natural wonders, and year-round attractions.” – Bobbi Dickerson, Visit Kearney Marketing Coordinator
Not sure where to start? There’s a solution for that. A large, interactive map highlights many of Kearney’s attractions, and an adjacent display features a snapshot of upcoming events. A piece of Kearney history is also on display, as bricks from downtown Kearney streets have been repurposed and used in the Then & Now community history area.
Feeling creative? There is a spot to design or color your own mural—a perfect activity for the entire family.
Sandhill Cranes and their natural environments are a focus throughout the center, featuring displayed content captured by Nebraska photographer Michael Forsberg, along with footage of the cranes taken at Rowe Sanctuary. After walking through the make-shift blind, another hands-on activity awaits with an origami crane station so you can create and take home your own Sandhill Crane.
The Welcome Center is part of the Kearney Partnership Building, which houses offices for Visit Kearney, the Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce, and Buffalo County Economic Development. In addition to the office space, there are community rooms available for new and existing businesses to utilize for meetings or collaborations.
“The Kearney Partnership Building is truly an endorsement to the community, its continued growth, and the groups that support it. We’re excited to share this center with visitors and residents while providing a space for meetings and displaying what makes Kearney so great.” – Roger Jasnoch, Visit Kearney Executive Director
Right off Interstate 80, the new building is located near hotels, convention centers, the hike and bike trail, the SportsPlex, and Younes Landing, which is in development itself. The Welcome Center is open seven days a week to visitors and the community and serves as a designated Nebraska visitor center during the summer months.
